Madness Contagion
by Sail the Ocean
Summary: He watched her, the little pink haired girl who went missing from Konoha when he was still in the academy. He watched her walk through the halls of Orochimaru's base. He watched her cut people down and shed tears when in solitude later. She was as mad as a hatter, he decided. But he couldn't take his eyes off her, even as she threatened to cut them out.
1. Prologue

_**Madness Contagion**_

_(A/N: Slightly AU, Sakura is a bit OOC, but eventually will be back to her regular self, fic is a bit dark in some points and contains extreme sexual material that no one under the age of eighteen should view.)_

_Standard disclaimer applied.  
If I owned Naruto do you __**honestly**__ think I'd be writing fan fiction? _

_**Prologue**_

"Che. She doesn't look like anything special, _why her_?" A snide voice questioned as a set of eyes leered at the small pink haired girl who was walking home from the academy, a bright smile on her features as she bounced happily through the streets, almost causing the first figure to retch.

"Sakon, play nice, won't you?" A calm, rather collected voice sighed from the small group of sound shinobi, the most level-headed of the group by far, receiving an annoyed snort from the other three in the group.

"I must agree with Sakon, she looks useless. She isn't even a genin yet, what use does Orochimaru-Sama have in a weakling such as this? She'll only slow us down." A third voice agreed with the first, although it was haughtier and baritone than the others.

"It _doesn't matter_ why Orochimaru-Sama wants her, Kidomaru. He requested we take her, and that's to be final." The secondary, more level headed voice answered plainly, leaving no more room for argument from his other teammates besides a pairing of annoyed snorts.

"You're no fun, Kimimoro." The one now identified as Kidomaru sighed, scratching absentmindedly at the patches of spiky dark brown hair atop his head with one of his four arms, his expression clearly stating his annoyance as he glared at the white-haired man out of the corner of his eye, willing to show his defiance to his rule, but not to voice it.

"How are we going to attack?" Sakon questioned, his eyes showing his obvious excitement, his long blue locks tossing lightly as he lent forward to get a better look at the girl, who was now speaking to some small, raven haired boy, who was blushing wildly, the sight disgusted the man watching and he turned away to face his orange haired subordinate still yet to speak a word since they had arrived. "Something bothering you, Jirobo?" He questioned, watching the portly, orange-haired man sigh and cross his arms, his expression solemn and contemplating.

"Konoha has very strict security, otherwise I would trap her in a barrier, although the chakra would certainly attract attention," The orange haired man spoke as he rubbed his chin in thought, before his eyes widened and he turned to the four-armed man beside him, "Kidomaru, do you think you could trap her in one of your webs?"

The tan skinned man snorted at the question of his teammate, turning to his with a cross expression, "Of course I can, idiot, but that's kinda' hard to do with her being in the middle of the damn village in the open. Orochimaru-Sama said _not _to attract attention, remember?" He sneered, crossing both sets of arms over his chest as he stood from his crouched position with a grunt.

Sakon sighed at this, running his tongue over his dark blue colored lips in thought, "We could put up a henge and draw her into the woods, _and then_ you could trap her in a web?" He suggested, watching the current team leader stand, Kimimaro. The white haired man did a series of hand seals until his appearance was one of a Leaf Jonin they had seen earlier when passing through the gates.

As he disappeared the three other men watched intently, all grinning maliciously at pleasing Orochimaru with the mission's success. Kimimaro approached her slowly, his stride looking neutral, he turned to the small raven-haired boy with a soft smile, ruffling his hair, the little boy snarled at the disguised Oto nin, they couldn't hear them speaking from the distance, but they could read Kimimaro's lips speak something along the lines of, 'I need to speak to Sakura-San a moment, please', to which Sakon snorted at the girl's blushed expression, "Are all leaf ninja this gullible?" He snorted, hearing a small chuckle escape the lips of his teammates.

Their eyes instantly followed the pair of ninja below them, noticing how the small girl dumbly followed the dangerous Oto Nin into the forest, without a qualm in the world. Kidomaru sighed and swung himself down from his high perch, as soon as the pinkette came into view he gave her no time to scream, as one usually does when they see the strange looking four armed man.

He sneered and cracked his jaw open, in an instant she was covered head to toe in his webs, although not acidic like they would have been in any other situation, he allowed them to simply sink the toxins into her body to paralyze her, didn't need her attracting any attention to them, eh?

As Kimimaro dropped the henge and appeared as his usual fair-skinned, white-haired self his eyes held clear distaste for his teammates barbaric fighting style, but he otherwise remained silent, scooping the small child of perhaps nine or ten into his arms with a disapproving shake of his head, she was too trusting of others, she would have sensed the chakra that surrounded his illusion of she had any common sense to check for it whatsoever, he gave the girl the clear chance to escape the cruel fate that lie ahead, but her foolishness had cost her.

"Let's get her back to Orochimaru-Sama, I'm tired." Came Kimimaro's soft reply, his eyes watching the four-armed man ahead of him warily, before his other two teammates appeared beside him, and they set off for Otokagure.

The travel back didn't take very long, and most of them remained in silence, the girl affected deeply by the toxins of Kidomaru's webs, so she remained unconscious, she would have to be evaluated by some kind of medic at some point.

As they arrived at the gates they were met by two masked Oto nin, but once they saw the group of shinobi the guards instantly opened the door, nervous about the ramifications that would be cursed upon them if they didn't heed to the Sound Five's orders, as they were highly favored by Orochimaru-Sama.

The large steel doors of the underground base opened with an audible creek, and the first to enter was Kimimaro, the girl still bound tightly in his arms, the rest entered in a line behind him, the halls were narrow and smelled heavily of the earth and smoking torches that lined the walls, one would easily get lost in the mazes of the vast base unless they knew where they were going and how to tell you were headed in the right direction.

For instance, the flames of the torches grew slightly brighter the closer you got to the snake sannin's personal study, an unnoticeable detail unless you knew what to look for, the doors in the main hallways were slightly more spaced apart than the doors that lead to the rooms the guards were held it, most however, were empty and used merely for a distraction to those trying to invade the impossibly large base.

The torches cast an eerie glow on the group as they made their way down the halls, the bundle of white web in Kimimaro's hands feeling slimy and sticky, a sensation he did not quite like, his face twisted into mild discomfort of having someone this close to his body, and irritation for being forced to touch the filth his subordinate spewed from his mouth.

He sighed as he reached the end of the halls, holding his hand up in hesitation before he softly knocked on the polished wood of the door, the surface cold and moist, like everything down in the damp base.

A dark, melodic chuckle was the reply as the door was pulled open by a silver-haired nin Kimimaro knew well, he offered a soft nod to Kabuto before walking forward, Orochimaru's eyes instantly focusing on the bundle of webs in his arms, the gold serpent-like orbs sparkling with amusement, "Lovely." Orochimaru grinned; he motioned to Kabuto with the inclining of his head, "Release her." He spoke to Kimimaro, who obliged by creating a makeshift katana using his special abilities, a long blade-like bone jutting out of his forearm, and with one, powerful swipe the webs fell to the floor, dissolving instantly.

The girl was covered in a layer of sweat, her breathing slightly labored, her face had a soft flush to it, her long bubblegum locks had a soft sheen of sweat on them from being confined in the thick webbing, although the toxins certainly took their toll on her, as he handed her over to the medic he sighed, Kabuto's hands glowing a feint green as he purged her system, watching her large jade orbs blink a few times before all but Orochimaru was forced to cover their ears at her bloody scream.

She scrambled backwards, using her palms to pull herself backwards until she hit the wall with a curse, her hands shaking as she reached for a kunai, tossing it in the direction of the white-haired man who had just saved her from becoming fatally ill, the silver-haired medic caught the kunai with ease, his expression saying that he was not impressed in the least.

Tears slid freely from her large jade orbs which were as wide as saucers, her chest rising and falling as if she were hyperventilating, Kabuto sighed and kneeled forward, reaching out to her with a glowing hand, but she merely offered another ear splitting scream, Kidomaru, thoroughly sick with the girls annoying screams landed a harsh kick to her side, earning a surprised gasp and more tears.

Kabuto sighed and glared freely at the four-armed man, his glasses catching the light and hiding his eyes, "You aren't helping, Kidomaru-San." He sighed, reaching for the girl once more, slowly, the child looked horrified by the idea of him so much as touching her so she scrambled backwards once more, he now held his hands up in an indication that he meant no harm to the girl and turned to face the snake Sannin who had yet to place an opinion, rather, he was watching the girl intently.

"You four are excused." He spoke, waving a hand at the four dismissively, his eyes locked onto the trembling girl before him with a grin on his face. This little girl dare even call herself a ninja! He laughed at the thought and laced his hands beneath his chin, feigning innocence as he watched the little girl, "Sakura, I presume?" He questioned, his voice soft although laced with amusement, the little girl flinched slightly but nodded, tears continuing to fall from her eyes.

"Good, good." He spoke softly, feigning a sympathetic expression he stood and walked around his desk, slowly crouching before the small pinkette, his hand outstretched and gently latched on to her chin, when she attempted to jerk out of his grip his fingers tightened, earning a small whimper from the girl when his long, pointed nails dug into her sensitive skin, "Now, if you listen and obey, my dear little Sakura, we will not harm you." He spoke sweetly, gently stroking her hair, his eyes holding a million lies that the little girl was too scared to notice as she meekly nodded her head, eyes still full of tears and confusion as the man before her offered a small smile and released his grip on her chin.

She sniffled and rubbed the area with the back of her hand, nearly whimpering at the smears of crimson left behind. "W-why did you t-take me?" She managed to choke out, her voice hoarse and throat raw from screaming earlier, her breathing was beginning to regulate even if she continued trembling violently.

"I'm very sorry for that my dear, but once I saw how smart you were I just couldn't resist!" The serpent like man replied, his silver-haired apprentice coughing to hide his dark chuckle, the small girl didn't take notice, a small blush touching her cheeks.

"Y-you think I'm smart?" She whispered, her expression becoming slightly more soft as she attempted to calm her young, naive self down. The snake sannin's eyes widened at her question, and then softened, he had to try his hardest to keep a smirk from touching his lips as he gently stroked her hair, "Yes, I think you're very smart. May I call you 'Sakura-Chan'?" He questioned the small girl, who offered a weak nod.

"Good, good. Well, Sakura-Chan, I think you're very smart. And I thought they weren't treating you right back in that village, were they?" He played on her weaknesses, knowing very well how the children had teased her, how they had ridiculed her for superficial reasons, how her mother shunned her for her decision to become a ninja, how the small Uchiha boy didn't return her affections, yes, he saw all of it.

The little girl looked at him almost hesitantly, "W-who are you?" She questioned slowly, seeming to get a better grip on her voice as she stared at the strange looking man before her. He offered her a cat-like grin.

"My name is Akatsuna no Orochimaru." He answered, and she eyes his red and black cloak warily, having overheard two adults talking about an organization called the 'Akatsuki' before, not knowing who they were or what they did, she watched him curiously.

"What do you want with me…?" She questioned, the tightness in her muscles not leaving as she looked up at the man before her, a deep rooted unrest already there for some reason, he looked less like a man and more like something that crept around in the dark nightmares of little kids, the proverbial 'boogieman'.

He chuckled lowly at her distrusting expression and offered an innocent sigh at the girl, "I told you, Sakura-Chan. You're very smart. I wanted to take you away from that awful place and have you all to myself." He smiled, knowing the insecure, poorly treated, naive child before him, knowing _exactly _what weaknesses to play on.

She slackened slightly, "W-what do you want? Nobody does anything for free." She spoke, and watched the man before her give her a shocked expression, not expecting such a cryptic answer from the small girl before him, a haughty laugh escaping his lips.

"Clever girl, oh my, aren't you clever?" He cooed, stroking her cheek adoringly, "There is one thing I must give you, Sakura-Chan. It's a special present that will protect you." He spoke gently, watching her breath hitch for a moment, her expression one of curiosity; he could tell she was thinking this over, deeply.

"I'll accept this gift- if you promise me one thing." She whispered, a small blush touching her cheeks as she tried her best to sound grown up, which earned a deep laugh from the man ahead of her, whose yellow eyes were gleaming with excitement.

"Oh? And what's that?" He questioned, crossing his arms over his chest as he watched the pink haired child slowly stand, hardly even coming up to the center of the tall, lean man's chest.

"I want you to train me to become a ninja!" She spoke, her fear gone and replaced with a burning passion as she placed a fist to her chest excitedly, looking up at the man before her with a burning expression.

"I will see to it you become one of the greats." Orochimaru spoke, his voice heavy and coated with a sinister evil even the little girl could almost sense, he placed a heavy hand on her shoulder and she looked at it worriedly.

"Are you ready to receive your gift, Sakura-Chan?" He questioned, his other hand unconsciously burning through seals behind his back as the girl was too focused on his expression to notice, his fangs elongating with him mouth as she closed her eyes with a small nod, "is it going to hurt, Orochimaru-Sensei?" She questioned, her eyes closing tighter at the thought of pain.

He offered a deep chuckle at the honorific as he rolled his eyes as if in thought, "Only a little."

His teeth sank into the skin of her neck and at that moment Haruno Sakura was branded with the Cursed Seal of Earth.

_**-X-X-X-**_

Iruka's face was grim as he entered the classroom, the children before him talking excitedly, his heart sank a bit as one smiling face wasn't present, and he sighed softly, his tanned skin seemingly dulled under the current circumstances, the children immediately picked up on their academy teachers face and turned to face the board, sensing the silence, even the normally sleeping Nara's face rose from his desk.

He cleared his throat, feeling uncomfortable as he faced the curious eyes of the children before them, "I'm sorry class, but one of your fellow students will no longer be joining us." He spoke silently, voice slightly strained with discomfort at the confused expressions on his student's faces.

"Billboard brow? Eh, she'll be in school tomorrow, she never misses school because she's a nerd." A blonde haired girl, Yamanaka Ino stood, grinning triumphantly as her comment earned a few giggles from the girls seated beside her.

Naruto offered a confused expression and looked around the room as if to check and see if his pink-haired friend was there or not, it was true, Sakura-Chan hadn't come to school today, or yesterday, or the day before, now that he thought about it.

The Uchiha's brows perked up slightly, although his expression didn't falter, her felt a growing discomfort in his chest, currently stunting him from his focus at the expression of the tan Chunin teacher's face before them, it was one he didn't want to see. A look and feeling the avenger was quite familiar with.

Iruka's hands slammed on his desk to silence the teasing comments from the other girls all directed towards the pinkette, earning a dark, hostile glare from their teacher that caused their mouths to snap shut in an instance, never having seen their usually friendly sensei's bad side.

He straightened back up and seemed to regain his composure, "Haruno Sakura is no longer with us."

Gasps erupted throughout the room and Iruka's eyes scanned the scene before him, Uchiha Sasuke, a boy Sakura had commonly clung to visibly stiffened, the blonde Yamanaka heiress slowly returned to her seat, tears steadily gathering in her baby blue eyes as she dropped her head to her hands and cried, Naruto looked curious, and Iruka's heard gave a violent squeeze as he offered a curious expression to his Sensei.

"Iruka-Sensei? Whadda' you mean she isn't 'with us anymore'?" He questioned, Sakura was close to Naruto, sure, she was short tempered with him, but she was one of the only one's who bothered to get to know her, she was one of the only children to offer him some kind of friendship.

"Sakura Haruno… is deceased..."

…****

Okay, first chapter…. Thought I'd do something creative, and haven't seen a fic like this yet… so, maybe review, please? I'd like to know what you think so far, I know it's only the prologue and it's not that great... but I'd really like to know what you think, and I always appreciate some suggestions, next chapter will be a time skip…

-TobiIsMyName. 


	2. Encounters Between Old Friends

_**Madness Contagion**_

_(AU: Warning, dark themes, strong language, sexual content, yada, yada, yada, enjoy.)_

_Standard Disclaimer.  
If I owned Naruto, Sakura would be a badass and kick Sasuke's ass.  
But I do not._

_**Chapter One; Encounters Between Old Friends**_

The pink haired girl ducked the swipe of a kunai easily, her crimson eyes never missing a beat as she landed a powerful kick to the Oto guard's gut, forcing the man to retch, she sighed and crossed her arms, motioning to the group of men with a 'come hither' hand motion, signaling one to step into the training ground with her.

The group of men looked hesitant, but Kabuto pushed one forward just as Sakura unsheathed her katana in one graceful motion, extending it in front of her, her movements graceful like a geisha as she circled the cowering nin before her, eyes bleak and bored as he weakly tried to sweep her legs out from beneath her, she flipped backwards, her incredibly long candy floss hair shimmering in the brightly lit room, as she appeared behind the man, who attempted to elbow the lean girl behind him, who merely rocked back on her heals to avoid his blow, her eyes showing she clearly _wasn't_ impressed.

She ducked just before his kunai swiped at the place her head had once been, a small scowl appeared on her face as a few pink strands flittered through the air, the oto guards hands shook as she pushed herself forward on the heel of her palm, using it as leverage to drive the heel of her black sandal into his chest, she smirked a bit at the evident cracks of his ribs dislodging and breaking, along with the pained wail that passed through his masked lips.

Slow, spaced out claps echoed through the training area, and Sakura's back slowly straightened, her crimson orbs fixated on the silver-haired man before her, his glasses glinting in the light as he used his index finger to push them to the bride of his nose, his ever present smirk in place, "Excellent job, Sakura-Hime. Lovely, lovely!" He cheered, a slow eruption of chuckles escaping his lips as he looked adoringly at the pinkette, looking so out of place in the middle of a bloody battlefield, surrounded by men who were either dead or injured gravely.

Oh how she has changed. Her pink locks had grown out, and now reached the beginning of her thighs; her bangs were cut straight across her forehead, which she had grown into quite nicely. Her eyes (A strange side effect from the curse mark) were a bright crimson, framed by luscious black lashes. She wore a black dress with crimson pin-stripes that reached a few inches beneath her knees; the sleeves were long and the collar high, covering her throat. The top half of the dress clung desperately to her upper body, showing her developing bosom and slender, subtle curves, flowing loosely around her thin, sculpted legs at the bottom, black, heeled sandals finishing off the outfit. She looked regal, which fit the bill, because she was Orochimaru's princess.

She stared at him with a blank expression, before slowly making her way towards the silver-haired medic, stepping over the expanse of bodies, ignoring their pleas and grunts as she ignored their injuries.

"Does Orochimaru-Sama require me?" She questioned. Her tone the equivalent of the divine, a musical tinge touched her tone and Kabuto wandered if perhaps she had a lovely singing voice as well. Probably. The medic offered a small smile to the pinkette, who per usual, did not return it.

"Ah yes, come with me." He smiled, turning to enter another damnable hallway, they never seemed to end, even thought they were in a new base, the air was just as humid and heated, Orochimaru-Sama always seemed to be hidden these days. He'd been injured a few weeks ago; his arms were destroyed by the Third Hokage.

Her eyes drifted into the expanse of hallway, zoning out Kabuto's rambling. He did that a lot. Sakura wished he would lack the air to create those words. His voice irritated her, his presence irritated her, the fact that he thought he was her superior irritated her. If he didn't have a purpose she would have killed him off years ago.

He paused before a grand door, heavily guarded with an array of seals, it contained Orochimaru-Sama's many scrolls and whatnots that he needed to protect, he didn't leave very often, considering he defected from the Akatsuki, keeping his ring, which apparently didn't sit well on _both_ accounts.

As Kabuto swiftly released the seals and stepped inside Sakura flinched slightly at the pure chakra that radiated from the room, her crimson orbs settling forward as she slowly entered the room, greeted with a wide sinister grin and an expectant look.

"Aah, my beautiful Hime, how are you this fine evening?" Orochimaru grinned, his yellow colored eyes settling on his finest student, and best creation by far, she was his masterpiece and he the artist.

The pinkette offered a respectful bow to her sensei, no matter how much she resented the man for kidnapping her and holding her to a deal she had made as an ignorant, scared young girl of questionable decent, he _did_ hold up his end without hesitation, and she was honor bound to do the same.

"I've been training with Kabuto-San." Came her bleak response, her eyes not glittering with the admiration she had once had for the snake Sannin and his petty mind games, she saw him for the snake he was.

He knew this, but she was much too valuable an asset to lose, so he would deal with her arrogance. She may have not been exactly loyal, but she was an honor bound kunoichi, nothing alike to Kabuto, who would stand on whatever side he found convenient for him, but in a world like they live in you must always look out for yourself first.

"I see. Well, I was wondering if you'd mind doing me a favor." The snake Sannin smiled, his grin equal to that of a Cheshire cat who had caught a bird in its sharp claws, Sakura knew this grin well, her crimson eyes sparkled with hesitance, but she nodded, offering a bleak 'Hai' as she waited for him to fill on the details of the mission.

"These four have brought a special specimen back to me, his name is Sasuke. I was wondering if you could give him a medical examination, it seems his body took much strain to his curse mark." Orochimaru spoke, watching the girl's expression change to one of recognition for almost a millisecond, but in an instant it was back to a bleak, bored expression she had worn for the past three and a half years, always passive with her head down, she wanted to be a shadow, not a shimmering sun.

Her fingers thrummed lightly against her thigh as he filled her in on information. Apparently, he had granted him with the Cursed Seal of Heaven, the counterpart to her own seal. She was to study him and his progress gradually, although they were equals, it was understandable why he trusted her more. She of course, remembered the Uchiha from her time as an academy student, she had fawned over him hopelessly and neglected her studies like a mere _civilian_, the thought made her face twist into one of distaste.

"The Sound Four seem to have been eliminated as well." Orochimaru sighed, feigning disappointment, Sakura bit back the urge to narrow her eyes, and she knew that he knew _damn well_ that they wouldn't survive this mission, although she didn't allow emotion to break her carefully placed mask, and offered a nod in agreement and acknowledgement, she wouldn't do more than what was necessary of her.

"How… _inconvenient_." Her statement ended with her face tugging into a strange kind of grin that stretched to inhuman length on her face, the sheer instability that shimmered off the two high-level shinobi had Kabuto's heart beating heavily in his chest, and when he felt two sets of eyes on him he was nearly certain that they could hear it beating in his chest, he wouldn't be half surprised if Sakura were to pull it from his chest and eat it right now, however the silver-haired man kept his composure and offered a sheepish smile.

The pinkette's eyes shifted to the Sannin before her once more, a silent request to be allowed to leave, granted approval she turned from the room, her long locks shimmering as she did so, the only lingering thing that stated she was ever there was the heavy scent of metallic blood and cherry blossoms.

Kabuto turned to the snake Sannin as Sakura disappeared down the hallway, his face grim as he repositioned his glasses, "Are you sure this is a good idea? Her emotions could get in the way." He spoke with a wide smirk.

The Sannin's grin only widened and he sighed dreamily, "_What emotions_?"

The room filled with the laughter of the two men.

_**-X-X-X-**_

The pinkette cursed those _damned_ hallways, finally coming just outside the door of the second training room, pinching the bridge of her nose in irritation as she tried her best to keep her temper- and the raging instability flowing from her curse seal- under control before she had to check on the genin behind these doors.

As she roughly shoved the door open, forgetting to tame her strength as the door was too weak and ended up flying off it's hinges and crashing into the wall parallel from it, filling the room with a veil of dust. Sakura had started Sasuke into lodging a kunai in the direction of her head, which she was able to counter with one of her own, her crimson eyes blank and detecting as she searched over the man before her, sizing him up.

_She was not impressed_.

They had given him a basic Oto nin uniform, grey pants and an open white kimono shirt, revealing his slightly toned chest and a purple rope-like belt topping it off, his hair stood in gravity-defying spikes in the back, his hair in the front however just hanging limply around his face, onyx eyes watched her warily as she slowly walked forward, her steps fluid and graceful like a dancer's.

"Hello Uchiha-San, my name is-"

"Haruno Sakura." He spoke solemnly, his face stern but his eyes placed his disbelief, the corner of her mouth curved up into somewhat of a smirk and she let a humorless laugh escape her lips.

"Yes. You may call me Haruno-San. Now, Orochimaru-Sama has asked me to look over some injuries you obtained using the second level of your curse mark, ne?" She questioned, lowering herself onto a knee beside him, her hands taking on a bright emerald glow as she hovered them inches over his chest, closing her crimson eyes as her chakra surged through his system, healing the normal injuries to his person on instinct. He had somehow obtained multiple broken rubs, a fracture on his cheekbone, some internal bleeding and a sprang ankle.

Next she moved on to the damage done to his chakra tunnels due to the surge and type of chakra the second level of the curse seal had inflicted, they had been forced open beyond their limitations and burned slightly, healing to the chakra tunnels took more time than a normal injury and was much more complicated to heal, she could only heal the tunnels themselves, but it would take a few days for his chakra to channel properly, in those days he shouldn't perform high-level jutsu because there was a chance it wouldn't work, no harm no foul.

He watched the pinkette warily, by the way she moved about his body, and the glint in her eyes she was being strictly professional, no intention (or clear intention) of foul play just yet. He remembered her from the academy, she had grown out her hair- and her eyes had changed colors, other than that her skin was still pale as paper and her frame still delicate and feminine, for a girl the age of fourteen.

Her chakra was warm, and the Uchiha felt his eyes close for a moment, enjoying the feeling of it coursing through his injured body, the pain slowly fading as she healed his wounds, it was a good feeling, it left his skin hot wherever her chakra remained. He slowly opened his eyes, her crimson eyes, the colors of cherries were looking intently at his chest, nose crinkled slightly in thought as she pushed her healing chakra into his chakra tunnels, healing them where the curse mark had over expanded and abused them.

When she finished she slowly backed away, making it clear she appreciated personal space, the bottom of her long dress flowing slightly with her steps, "Would you like me to show you to your room, Uchiha-San?" She questioned, her eyes seemingly looking through him instead of at him, he grunted in response and as she turned to walk from the room, he followed.

As they walked through the obscene amounts of hallways he sighed, he remembered the girl from the academy, she had been close friends with the dobe, in fact, as well as the Yamanaka girl. Sasuke had known her briefly, but tired of her quickly as he found her constant and _unwanted_ affections annoying. Now it seems she favored not talking, she also kept a large distance between them.

The avenger wandered what use Orochimaru found in the girl, he couldn't sense her chakra signature, and he supposed she had masked it earlier while she was healing him, she moved gracefully, so he assumed she had some decent training. Although he noticed that she looked serious, detached, uninterested, her manors were those of nobility and she kept him at a good length, his eyes narrowed slightly, _what was she hiding_?

She came to stop in front of one of the doors in the expanse of hallways, pushing on it softly, a seal pulsed and it sprung free, she peered at him from the corner of her eye and motioned for him to enter the room before her, he eyed her cautiously and did so, noticing the door pulsed on impact, he sent a questioning glance to the pinkette, who then stepped into the rather spacious room.

"These rooms are spares for the Oto guards; they act on sensory weather or not to alert Orochimaru-Sama. Since you've entered the room before me, the door has observed your chakra and connected to it," She nodded, tapping a crimson-painted fingernail on the wooden surface of the door with a sigh, "Now if anyone besides you were to enter the room it will alert Orochimaru-Sama or myself and we will come to your aid, or send the guards, ne?" She nodded, and he inclined that he understood.

"Good, I will come and retrieve you for training in the morning. I must ask you not wander around the halls, friends and foes are hard to indentify here." She pointed out sharply, "Good evening, Uchiha-San." She offered with a small bow before disappearing and shutting the door behind her. He didn't hear her footsteps as she retreated down the hall.

He looked about the room, his eyes showing he wasn't impressed, there was a simple cot, a chest at the end of said cot, and a door that undoubtedly revealed to be a personal bathroom. He walked over to the cot, taking a seat at the edge, his sharringan eyes glowing in the darkness of the room.

**Prepare yourself, Itachi. I am coming for you. **

…**..**

**The cover for this fic should give you a glance of Sakura's new appearance, JS. I know this is only the first chapter and there really isn't a plot yet or anything, but I hope there are some people out there getting a kick out of this story, I know it's not all that great yet, and the updates are short, but the next will be a bit longer, promise.**

Oh, I also re-vamped this chapter, so some if not all the clear spelling mistakes are fixed up. I cannot promise the grammatical errors are, however. Sorry. 

**Please Review, suggestions appreciated.**

Much love,

**-Tobiismyname.**


	3. Importance of Defense

_**Madness Contagion**_

_(A/N: Damn I really went overboard with the updates… I can't promise they'll always be so soon like this, I'll certainly try my best to always update quickly like this, but no promises, I can, however, promise at least one a week, if you can try to review as well. I really like suggestions, so if you have one you could PM me or whatever, I'd really like it.)_

_Standard disclaimer applied.  
If I owned Naruto I'd have enough money to hire a maid who would clean my room for me, but alas, I do not. _

_**Chapter Two; the Importance of Defense**_

Sakura was surprised to find Sasuke already awake and prepared in the training clothing Kabuto-San had dropped off at his door later the night before, grey sweatpants and a tight white tank-top. Sakura herself wore short black spandex shorts and a crimson tank top, her long locks pulled into a ponytail as her bangs hung freely in place, Sasuke followed behind her silently as they made their way to the first training ground, where Oto guards were already being lined up by Kabuto.

Sakura's breath hitched slightly at the sight of Orochimaru, he usually never participated in watching training, and Sakura highly doubted he would be teaching Sasuke anything himself considering the current state of his arms, although Sakura could understand his want to watch the young Uchiha in battle, to get a proper evaluation of his skills.

However upon entering she noticed his head motioning to her in a 'come hither' indication and she made her way across the room, wanting to slap him as his eyes traveled along her body, but knowing her place and holding her tongue were two things she was very good at.

"You healed Sasuke-kun, ne?" The older man questioned, shaking his long, inky locks from his face as he grinned at the raven haired teen now sparring with one of the Oto guards, who looked more confident with the pinkette on the other side of the room, although it was short lived as Sasuke brutally dragged a kunai across the guards throat without hesitation, Sakura felt her eyes narrow as her hands lit up green and she prepared to go and heal the injured man before he died, but Kabuto's arm jutted out and paused her in her tracks (He had walked beside them moments ago), she sighed and took a step back, the glow slowly receding into her hands as she placed her palms into her lap, watching the Uchiha kick away the man's body before another was plucked from the group and thrown into ring with him, this one looking much more cautious of the ex-Konoha genin before him.

Sakura's hand curled into a fist at her side as she watched him chop through Oto nin after Oto nin mercilessly, even she if prompted to kill others made it swift and painless, she got nothing out of taking the life of another, but this boy- he seemed to be enjoying it, his own eyes blazing a crimson of sorts like her own, although from what Orochimaru-Sama has told her it's a doujutsu within his eyes that allows him to see and repeat jutsu, quite impressive, she had to admit.

The pinkette studied his movements with her eyes, all of his attacks focused on offensive strike, while he was precise with his strikes, assuring them to be in very sensitive, fatal areas, he miscalculated when he attempted to hit them, he was going for difficult areas to reach, using brute force as his advantage, leaving much room for error, not that the Oto nin noticed, he was too busy fearing for his life, but to a skilled opponent, Uchiha Sasuke was not impressive. He was lacking strategy and defensive technique, Orochimaru-Sama must have noticed this as well, because he turned to her, wincing slightly as the motion tugged on his dead arms, his golden eyes cloudy with illness although he farced a sinister grin "Hime, would you mind helping Sasuke-kun a bit? I've grown quite tired."

I offered a nod and watched from the corner of my eye as Kabuto lead Orochimaru-Sama out the door, before my eyes narrowed dangerously on the genin before me, I called a stop to the battle and watched as he turned to me, crossing his arms over his chest in clear displeasure as I walked forward, pulling a scroll from my kunai pouch strapped to my left thigh I completed a series of single-handed seals, and with a poof of smoke, a kusarigama **(1) **appeared in my hand, I grabbed a handful of the long, silver chain in my left hand, and gripped the base of the curved blade with the other, nearing Sasuke with slow, strong strides.

And as I tossed the blade through the air, using the chain to direct it, as predicted it sliced into Sasuke's shoulder, he grunted, unappreciative the blow that had been done to him as he glared openly at he woman who was standing before him, hands on her hips in disapproval, "Come at me." Were her slowly spoken words, he followed her direction, charging at her, kunai in hand, she easily evaded his swipe, grabbing onto his arm and using it as leverage, twisting it behind his back and curling her own hand around his wrist, forcing his hand to press a kunai harshly against his back, he was breathing heavily now, agitation rolling off of his body in waves.

"Defensive attacks are equal to, if not more important than offensive. Some attacks are two powerful to match, and you must be able to defend yourself from them." She said in smooth instruction and she released the Uchiha, pressing a hand to his shoulder, healing torn flesh and muscle, although she was not apologetic, bastard deserved it.

He looked annoyed and the pinkette resisted the urge to break her mask and chuckle, but the arrogant glimmer in his eyes reminded her that showing such weakness in this place meant imminent death.

"Try only defensive attacks." She instructed, taking his small nod as an indication to begin, she took an offensive position and aimed a kick for his gut, slowly, not using her enhanced speed, allowing him to catch her calf and use his weight to push to her the floor, kunai at her throat. "Good, now I'm going to move a bit faster this time, okay?" She nodded and stood, aiming a punch for his head, he caught it, swaying slightly at her strength, at that point she aimed a kick for his chest, and he slid backwards with a grunt under the force.

She ran towards him, sweeping his legs from beneath him, he caught himself mid-back flip and used the momentum to force his heel upwards, it connected with her gut but she didn't flinch under the blow and grabbed his leg, using it to swing him in the opposite direction, he caught himself and landed on his feet, she charged again, a blow to his sternum connected and she used the moment of weakness to connect another blow to his cheek, rattling him under the impact.

As she extended a hand to her opponent he took it, and she slowly helped him up, with a nod she put some space between the two, taking yet another offence stance.

"Again."

_**-X-X-X-**_

Several hours had passed through their training, her and Sasuke sat on the floor in silence. Sasuke covered in a healthy sheen of sweat and panting slightly, Sakura looking calm and composed, her long hair now hanging around her as the rubber band in her hair had snapped at some point through the training, sweat glistening lightly on her alabaster skin, Kabuto had come back and brought them rice balls for lunch, and they ate in silence, but Sakura could feel the Uchiha's eyes wandering on her from time to time, fed up, the pinkette sighed, "Is there something you'd like to ask me, Uchiha-San?" She questioned, biting into her second rice ball, eyes unfocused and staring blankly into the wall across the room.

"You're from Leaf." He stated blandly, on his fourth rice ball and still counting, his eyes cold and calculating as he sized up the girl beside him, honestly the only way he'd been able to recognize her was her exotic hair, he presumed not many people had pink hair, although her name confirmed her identity.

She nodded, "Hai." A simple response, the Uchiha's eyes narrowed slightly in annoyance before he dropped the subject, it wasn't his business why she was here. Possibly for the same reason he was; Power. To become stronger, he didn't really care; it had nothing to do with him.

"You improve quickly." She stated calmly, taking a sip of tea as she peered at the Uchiha beside her, who offered he a small grunt in response, something he did often. He wasn't very talkative, which was fine, most people she had come in contact here weren't, and the ones that were, she surely wished weren't. It was however true, in just a few hours of training, Sasuke's defensive attacks were becoming more precise and accurate, perhaps he was a prodigy, he had always been top of the class in the Academy, at least from what she could remember.

"Your fighting style is mainly defensive." He stated, his voice a calm monotone, although it held the underlining tones of his exhaustion, he hadn't ducked into his chakra reserves once, however, it was strictly taijutsu today, which for someone who favored Ninjutsu, such as himself, was not bad, not impressive, but not all together awful.

Sakura nodded once more, "I find it more effective."

"Why? Wouldn't offense in battle make more sense?" He questioned, his tone held a genuine curiosity as he addressed her, taking a sip from his own cup of tea, one of the overhead lights blinked slightly, but the pair ignored it.

"Offensive attacks use more energy, and if I can avoid killing in battle, I will." She spoke silently, earning a raised eyebrow from the raven haired teen beside her, she sighed and set down her cup of tea, staring thoughtfully ahead of her, "No one deserves the right to take the life of another, for whatever the reason. We are all merely human." She spoke so silently it was hard to hear her. She noticed her words had brought some kind of rise from the boy beside her because he silently stood, and excited the room, his face twisted into a kind of a scowl.

She merely shrugged it off; it was none of her business what his preferences to life were. He asked her a question, and she answered it, not all shinobi had to be merciless killers.

**You know you love it Sakura, when blood stains your hands, the power and thrill you get out of bathing in the life blood of people whom dare step into the arena with you-**

_That's enough. _She stated, silencing the darker thoughts that crept into her mind ever since the curse seal had been implanted within her, it darkened her thoughts, and constantly had to be controlled, it was unstable, as only the second Cursed Seal of Earth Orochimaru-Sama had administered, the first being Kimimaro, it wasn't quite as stable as the rest of the Sound Four. Sakura couldn't speak for Sasuke's Cursed Seal of Heaven, she didn't know the dynamics of the seal, but for him to be able to control it so early in was what made it clear the seal was more controlled than her own.

She sighed as she heard the door open, and watch Kabuto stroll in, his expression smug, she supposed Orochimaru-Sama had complimented him on the silver-haired medics treatment of his arms, while the medic could in no way heal him, his treatment alleviated the pain and kept infection out, although it didn't stop the deterioration of the snake Sannin's arms, no blood flowed through them, so the cells in his arms had began to decompose, the scent of wretched corpses followed the Sannin wherever he went, Sakura couldn't help but think that he really didn't mind.

"Good evening Sakura-Hime, how did Sasuke-kun's training go? Well, I hope." He spoke casually, offering a hand to the pink haired beauty to help her stand; her crimson orbs stared at it in distaste before she smacked it away, fluidly standing before the man almost a head taller than her.

"Uchiha-San is improving well for only one day of training." She nodded mechanically, noticing the small frown on Kabuto's features, sneering at him openly, she wasn't in the presence of Orochimaru at the moment and she was free to show her distaste for the medic before her, knowing that if he were to 'tattle' on her the snake Sannin would simply side with the pinkette, he always did. She was his most useful weapon, for the time being.

"Sasuke-Kun seemed a bit agitated when I passed him, did you say something to put him off?" Kabuto questioned innocently, ignoring the deep glare the pinkette shot him, cringing slightly at the maniac grin that split her beautiful face.

"I told him I would skin him alive if he continued leering at me." Her tone was light and airy, rattled with madness, Kabuto took a defensive step backwards from the barrier of killing intent that surrounded the pinkette, he would be lying if he said the pinkette didn't scare him, she was well above Jonin-ranks at fourteen, not at a level of prodigy paring with Uchiha Itachi, but well on her way.

Sakura knew how she affected Kabuto; she knew that sometimes the slips of insanity or dark words coming through her lips weren't just nonsense. She was in no way deluded, she was well aware of the dark thoughts and intentions that swam in her mind. She knew she was tainted. She was well aware she had killed, and not been as merciful as others. She was no Buddha, but in fact, quite a dark creature all her own. She simply tried to be a good person to her best abilities due to her limited conditions, if possible, she would have never chosen to become a ninja, then perhaps she never would have been kidnapped that fateful day, but she was and nothing could change it.

Every decision in this world came with consequence.

She left the silver haired medic in the training room without hesitation, but her insanity festered behind her.

Haruno Sakura was not merciful, but she wouldn't sink as low as to enjoy bloodshed.

…

**Ah, Short, but a slight encounter between Sakura and Sasuke, a bit of plot unwinding, Kabuto is being a smug asshole as usual. Che. I hate Kabuto. I really, really do. Anywho, thanks for my first three reviews, Really cool that you guys took the time to do that. **

**-Tobiismyname**


	4. Infection

_**Madness Contagion**_

_(A/N: GAH, I've never been so good at fight scenes. I'm sorry, I'm desperately trying to improve my skills, so sorry for the anticlimactic training session in the last chapter, my bad. But hey, they were just training; you weren't missing out on much, promise.)_

_Standard disclaimer applied.  
_

_**Chapter Two; Infection**_

The rest of the month slid by smoothly, Sasuke not speaking another word to Sakura through their training, but she felt him eyeing her warily, as if he thought she were going to slice his throat when his back was turned. They avoided each other if possible, Sakura was well aware Orochimaru was taking Sasuke and helping him hone the powers of his curse mark, the fact alone brought a tinge of jealousy to the pinkette, she was never graced with the help to control the raging beast within her, nor were any of the others.

She scowled down at the colorful tubes of liquid before her, poisons that she was mixing and creating antidotes for. A skill she had been taught when she first arrived, medical Ninjutsu had been taught by Kabuto, but once she learned everything she could from the silver haired man, she turned to scrolls she had taken from hidden archives all around the five nations.

She sighed impatiently as the door to her _personal_ lab opened, revealing a very displeased looking redhead that Sakura assumed to be one of Orochimaru's subordinates, her eyes were crimson, although not the glassy cherry orbs Sakura had, they were more of a dull rust color, matching her unruly red locks, the woman snorted at Sakura and pushed up her lavender colored goggle-like glasses.

Sakura eyed the girl with a bland expression, "What is it?" her tone harsh and cold, the redhead flinched slightly at how biting her words were, but seemed to regain her composure as she tilted her nose in the air as a snobbish nobleman would do with a light 'hmph!' for good measure, Sakura raised an annoyed eyebrows at the girl no older than herself administer such childish antics.

"Orochimaru-Sama wants to see you." She sneered, something about her tone forced Sakura's hand to curl to a dangerous fist at her side, the girl must have noticed this because she sneered once more and escaped from the room rather quickly. Once she was gone Sakura turned back to her work, gathering up her notes and shoving them into a manila envelops and shoving it into the filing cabinet with a sigh before locking it, and for good measure sealing it, she hated having her work tampered with.

Her feet moved hesitantly along the damp soil floors beneath her, the flames of the torches seeming brighter today, making the smell of damp earth hide beneath the smell of steadily burning oil, making the air thick and irritating to the pinkette who coughed softly into her fist before pressing her palm against the door before her, it pulsed slightly, recognizing her chakra signature before swinging open.

"Ah, there's my beautiful Hime, come here, would you?" Orochimaru whispered, his features conveying a 'come hither' motion to the small pinkette, she offered an obedient nod and came to stand next to him, her cherry colored eyes meeting the lone Uchiha for merely a second, he looked brooding and annoyed as usual, but something was different about today.

She nearly felt a pang of guilt at his rather weakened state; she could sense the illness in his chakra, courtesy of his curse mark. Orochimaru stood from his seat and in small strides walked around the side of the desk to stand before Sasuke, who watched the serpent warily.

"Sasuke, please spare a little blood?" The Sannin questioned innocently, but Sakura could feel her cherry colored eyes widen and her chest give a painful clench, she knew _exactly_ what he was going to do, but she'd gotten much better at controlling herself. She _wouldn't_ lose control at the scent anymore. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction.

But as Sasuke dragged a kunai emotionlessly across his palm, the smell hit her instantly, and she nearly cried out, the smell- _oh Kami the smell_. It was strong, _different_; it hit her instantly, and _hard_. She gripped her head and let out a pained cry, the curse mark that sat just above her left breast pulsated and she screamed once more, feeling her blood set ablaze as the marks began spreading over her skin, burning wherever they touched.

Sasuke's eyes widened minutely, looking over to the pale skinned man beside him, who was watching in silent amusement as the girl convulsed and clutch at her shimmering locks, growling and snarling like an animal, "What did you do to her?" Sasuke questioned, unable to hide the sharp tone from his voice which earned a sinister chuckle from the man beside him.

"Your blood is infused with the Heaven Seal, Sasuke-Kun. Hers it the Earth Seal, and while Sakura's is much strong stronger than yours, she goes wild at the scent of blood, however, she's gotten quite a grip on it over the years, but your blood calls out to her more… _animalistic _side." The man answered cheerily, as if the pinkette wasn't losing grip of herself right before them.

_**Fuck**__! Gah- Damn this hurts so bad! _She ground her teeth, her head feeling like it was splitting in two, the seals spreading over her body moving back and forth uncertainly as she tried to force them back, she felt bile rising to her lips but pushed it back, as well as the tears forming in the corners of her eyes, Sakura Haruno _did not cry_.

"That's quite enough, Kabuto!" Orochimaru called loudly, sounding bored once more. At that moment, the door swung open, Kabuto holding a syringe of some blue liquid, which he slid into the throbbing vein pulsating in Sakura's neck, her eyes flickered golden before she crashed to the floor, the three males of the room not making a move to catch her.

Sasuke's orbs turned to Orochimaru, his eyes void and emotionless "Why did you do that?" He questioned, eyeing the unconscious girl Kabuto was tossing over his shoulder and carrying from the room, unease settling deeply into the pit of his stomach at the sickening grin that curled at the lips of the snake Sannin.

"To remind you what I can do if you defy me, Sasuke-Kun. Sakura revels in being able to control herself, but soon enough you'll understand trying to defy the curse mark is quite… painful. "

_**-X-X-X-**_

Sasuke stared lifelessly into the cracked white tile, warm water prattling on his back as stream rolled about the air. Inky locks hanging limply around him in their drenched state. He curled a hand over the base of his neck, where his curse mark remained, pulsating beneath his skin with dark possibility. His face twisted into an immediate sneer at the thought of the snake Sannin, he was useless, and deluded if he believed he would _ever_ inhibit Sasuke's body.

He was merely a link to power, the power to kill his brother and avenge the death of his clan, which in turn he had to rebuild, he couldn't rebuild his clan without a body. He snorted at the foolishness of the man's desperation. If the snake was as intelligent as he tried to play off he would understand that after Sasuke killed his brother, his body would still be needed.

As he turned off the running water and stepped from the shower he narrowed his eyes at a familiar chakra signature outside his door, his eyes instantly spinning crimson as he wrapped a towel around his waist and made his way to the door, the cold air not fazing his steaming skin as he opened to find a redhead he had come to know was named Karin, standing in his doorway, a prominent blush in place. He stared at her coldly, "What do you want?" His tone demanding and leaving no room for nonsense.

She however didn't take this as harshly as he would have liked, and merely adjusted her glasses with a 'seductive' smile, bending forward and pressing her premature cleavage together, making Sasuke snarl in distaste, "Kabuto told me to come get you, _Sasuke-kun_." She purred his name, her eyes shamelessly roaming over his dripping form, a heavy blush on her cheeks.

"Hn." Was his lone response as he promptly slammed the door behind him, leaving the girl to stand in the hallway alone. He dropped the towel from his waist and used it to shake the moisture from his hair before swiftly pulling on the clothing that had been given to him upon his arrival. He heard Karin's retreating footsteps and snorted, strapping his katana to his side.

He hadn't seen the pink haired girl in over a month- since Orochimaru had used her curse seal against her. He let out a puff of air even he wasn't aware he was holding as he remembered her pained face, the look in her eyes, and the haunting flash of gold before she collapsed. It was a disturbing memory.

He hadn't heard of her either, Kabuto looked wary and hesitant when Sasuke had brought up the issue once, referring to her training. He'd never seen the silver-haired medic look as uncomfortable as he did at that moment.

He breathed a sigh and pushed open the door to his room, but as he did so, a hand clamped over his mouth.

A very soft, _feminine_ hand.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o000o0o0o00 o0o0o0o0o00o0o0**

**Cliff hanger? Nawh! Nobody's that interested in this story…. Right? RIGHT?!**

Ever stressed out,

-Tobiismyname


	5. Discord

_**Madness Contagion**_

_(A/N: It's been so long since I've updated but I'm back and things are only getting better, I promise! This was one of the top stories on my to-do list, right after 'Smooth Criminal' and if you haven't checked it out, you should.)_

_Standard Disclaimer Applied. _

_If I owned Naruto, I would update more._

_**Chapter Five; Discord**_

The pinkette sighed and released her firm grip on the Uchiha, stepping away slowly, as to show that she meant no harm. His charcoal eyes bore into her with a venomous look. She placed her hands up in a peaceful gesture before brushing invisible dirt from the front of her dress and turning on her heel, preparing to walk away.

A cool hand clamped down on her wrist and she had to fight back the instinctive flinch at human contact, smoothly pulling her wrist from his grip and turning to face him with a tired expression, "What is it, Uchiha-San?" She questioned, her cherry colored orbs seeming to burn into him.

"What happened... with your curse mark?" He questioned slowly, no concern only curiosity sparking in his dull eyes. Sakura's facial expression chilled immediately and she turned, "If that's all, I suppose I'll see you the next time Orochimaru-Sama wishes me to train you, goodnight." She said blandly.

Sasuke didn't feel like just letting her go just yet. He quickly appeared before her in a blur of black, a kunai drawn to his own hand threateningly, his face stoic and cold as he eyed the pinkette who's eyes had narrowed dangerously.

"Are you trying to threaten me?" She hissed lowly, watching him press the blade closer to his palm.

"Are you going to tell me what I want to know?" He mused bleakly. The pink-haired kunoichi snarled like a hellcat and in a fraction of a second the Uchiha was on his back, the kunai he had been previously holding as leverage pressed at the tip to his jugular tenant

"I really hate when little genin try to play ninja." She hissed, baring her teeth to the Uchiha as her long locks fanned around them like a curtain. The Uchiha's eyes narrowed and he kicked her forward, she gracefully flipped through the air, not effected by his attack, tossing his kunai back to him and once again turning on her heel, more cautious of his presence now. He's clearly not to be trusted.

"Sharpen your tools, little boy. Your kunai isn't worth using as a butter knife." She spat, disappearing into one of the splintering corridors.

Sasuke stood in the same place he once did, a fierce look burning in his eyes as he stared at the place the girl had once stood. His fists were clenched dangerously and his temper fighting to get the best of him. That stupid girl dared treat him like a child?

His fist connected harshly with the wall, leaving a deep crater in it's surface, until he too disappeared down one of the winding corridors.

**-X-X-X-**

Orochimaru sat in his study, his useless arms hanging over the sides of his chair. He would need to look for Tsunade soon, she is the only one who could heal his arms, he was well aware of that. He also needed to further Sasuke's training, along with his control of the curse seal or it would damage him more the next time he tried to morph to second form- perhaps even kill him.

"So much to do." The snake sannin snarled.

"We could leave him in Sakura's care while we go to find Tsunade." Kabuto suggested from the corner of the room.

Orochimaru sighed, "That will have to do for the time being, but they've done nothing but spar. I don't know if hime has the patience or... _restraint_ to train Sasuke-kun with his curse seal, you remember how their seals interact, don't you?"

Kabuto smirked, "All the more interesting, it'll be like a test for both of them."

Orochimaru's lips quirked upwards into a sadistic smile. "Indeed. Very interesting indeed."

"Shall I call them here, Lord Orochimaru?"

"Yes, we need to tell them the good news."

**-X-X-X-**

The two young ninja stood before the snake sannin, faces contorted into sour, yet obedient expressions.

"So, do the two of you have any... objections?" Orochimaru smirked.

"No, Orochimaru-Sama." Sakura nodded with a small bow, Sasuke simply remained silent but his eyes showed his answer. He knew his opinion wouldn't change Orochimaru's mind. His decisions seemed to be final.

"Excellent." Kabuto smirked, stepping forward from behind Orochimaru with a scroll in his hands, which he tossed to Sakura, she unrolled it immediately, her crimson eyes scanning over the paper before lifting her gaze to the silver-haired medic, "The Iwa base?" She questioned with a quirked eyebrow.

Kabuto nodded, clasping his hands together with a wide cracked grin, "Yes. We thought it would be more suitable to the- training regiment you two will be conducting while we're absent."

"What kind of training?" Sasuke butted in, and Sakura nearly rolled her eyes, _Of course the training is his only concern, power hungry little boy. _She thought bitterly, her lips curling downwards in a distasteful grimace.

"Hime is going to help you with your curse mark, she of course speaks from experience. There's no one better!" Orochimaru grinned, clearly noticing the icy tinge Sakura's eyes had taken over, and the silence that ensued.

"That won't be a problem for you, will it?" Kabuto spoke up, a sly smile on his face as he eyed Sakura, who had to choke back the urge to slice is mouth ear to ear so he'd have to keep that ugly grin forever. It would suit him much better, in her opinion.

"Not at all." She answered icily. Noticing the medic had stepped back behind the sannin. It pleased her, he should be scared. She had to qualms to killing a worm like him, actually, she has half a mind to suggest it to Orochimaru. If he wanted to test her skills a death match with Kabuto would certainly amuse him-

"Good, we'll be gone for just shy of two months. Do you think you could make some considerable progress in that time? Seeing as you're a medical ninja I see to reason for concern." Orochimaru nodded.

"Hai, Orochimaru-Sama. I'll train him to the best of my abilities." Sakura complied.

"Good. You may take your leave now, we've left the protection of this base under the supervision of the guards, so it should be here for you two to come back to, and if not I'll send a hawk." Orochimaru sighed, shooing the two out of his office with nothing but the hissing sounds of his echoed laughter in their minds.

**-X-X-X-**

Sakura stood in the darkness of her room, her eyes practically glowing in the darkness. This was an outrage. Hasn't she proven herself enough? And now they send her out to the abandoned Iwa base with this little Uchiha brat. Why was he even going through all of this trouble? Couldn't Orochimaru just make the weak little kid his vessel already? This was ridiculous and becoming an inconvenience for her plans.

She wanted out of here, but this kid has made her life ten times harder, she now had a purpose to be here. It seemed like all she was doing was training Sasuke day in and day out. It was becoming annoying and she didn't know how long she could take this.

She closed her eyes and pressed slender fingers to her forehead, looking at the brown paper bag lying on her bed, with a sigh, she scooped the bag into her hands and left the bedroom, wading down at least twenty hallways and down over six hundred steps until she reached the lower dungeons. She passed by hundreds of barred doors until one stood out with her, the numbers long since fallen off, dusted with age and rusting at the bars, she heaved it open with a loud grunt, looking into the darkness of the room with a small smile.

"Juugo?" She whispered.

"Sakura-Sama?" A soft voice from within the darkness responded, a sorrow-filled voice that made Sakura's smile a bit forced, "You shouldn't have come here, I might hurt you." Juugo responded, crawling a little bit forward, the heavy chain on his ankle dragging across the floor, Sakura had to resist the urge to flinch, she could see that it was hurting him.

"Here, I brought you a present. I'm going away for a little while and thought you would like it." Sakura smiled, handing him the paper bag, The giant orange haired man's eyes misted slightly as he took the bag from her, looking at it down in his hands as if it were the most gentle and precious thing in the world, he slowly opened the bag, pulling a brand-new book from within, along with several boxes of Pocki.

While he examined his book, his face twisted into one of pure joy, she inched toward his ankle, placing gentle hands around the bruised and broken flesh, pumping healing chakra into it until not even a scar remained, her somber green eyes then shifted to the orange-haired man, and she placed a steady hand on his shoulder. "You aren't a monster, Juugo. Neither was Kimmimaro and neither am I. Think of us as examples." She said softly, wrapping her arms around the large man's shoulders, he hugged her back almost instantly.

"Thank you so much Sakura-Sama. You're so kind." He said gently.

She smiled and stood, giving him a soft kiss atop his head and pulling a blanket from within her long cloak, draping it around his large torso. "I hope you like the book, it's on animals. I know how much you like them. I'll be back soon, please take care of yourself." She said sternly, before disappearing onto the other side of the door.

Orochimaru would throw a fit if he knew how often she visited Juugo. She wasn't even allowed in the restricted parts of the laboratory, although she would come secretly and aid to the 'experiments' as Kabuto the worm dared call them. Most of them were orphans found in destroyed villages or enemy ninja, however they were still human and didn't deserve the treatment they were given here, they were treated worse than animals.

She stopped at a door a few down from Juugo's, slipping inside without a sound she pulled a bottle of fresh stream water from a pocket in her cloak, approaching the large, glass prison, within held the ninja known as Suigetsu, he has the ability to turn his entire body into liquid, which in this special prison, he has no choice but to do.

She pulled a stool from a nearby desk littered with papers and odd medical tools that looked more suited to be torcher devices than medical enhancers. She pulled the chair beside the large prison, gracefully stepping up on to it's seat and twisting the cap from the bottle, pouring it through the small air holes on the ledge of the prison.

As the bottle emptied she let out a small breath, touching the prison's cool surface with a small smile. "Sorry that's all I got for you right now, I'm going away for a while. But when I come back I'll bring you a whole jug." She sighed, patting it gently and putting the chair back as she found it.

"Thanks Sak, dunno' what I'd do without you." A raspy, yet lite tone replied, seemingly from nowhere.

"Be thirsty, very thirsty." She said, her back retreating through the doorway.

She didn't know what she'd be doing right now if she hadn't found Juugo and Suigetsu. They were the only people she could feel comfortable around, they didn't have deep conversations, they just enjoyed each other's company, they were all prisoners here. Juugo was probably her best friend, probably because she could relate to him so much. His curse mark was very uncontrollable, more so than her own. We both favored Kimmimaru though, he was a very good man.

Juugo keeps himself chained by a very heavy weight, he has a very gentle and tender nature, but he truly can't control himself.

She dragged a hand over her face and through her hair, she didn't mean to startle Sasuke earlier, but she had come down to see Juugo and ended up having to race back because Orochimaru and Kabuto were down in the labs, she'd been almost certain she was caught, but it ended up being Sasuke, which was probably worse.

This was going to be a very long, very agonizing two months.

**-X-X-X-**

Sasuke finished packing up some clothing and necessities for the trip to Iwa. After this afternoons incident with Sakura he certainly wasn't interested in spending intensive time alone with her. What was it about her that made him so damn curious? And that little 'genin playing ninja' remark? How dare she.

She even went as far as to address him as a child! They were schooled in the same year, how dare she treat him like an ignorant child! She knew nothing of suffering, nothing!

He snarled and knocked the bag from his bed, watching it crash to the ground with a low thud. He sat down, fingers laced beneath his chin. What was it about her?

He remembered the way she used to be, the way she used to act! She was a pitiful student and not worth the title, what makes her so high and mighty?

His brain seemed to stop working, what was it about her that irked him so much... _was his own curse mark effected by hers?_

**A bit short, I hope you enjoyed it a bit. The plot is starting to thicken a very miniscule bit. I couldn't really get much done and I don't have spell-check on my word document right now so I'm crossing my fingers and hoping I got at least SOME of it right. : **

**Please Review to let me know you're still out there!**

**-TobiIsMyName**


End file.
